50 drabbles
by razzledazzle41191
Summary: 50 drabbles about the relationship between uncle and nephew. Some past, some future, some humorous, some serious. Spoilers up to 315. Rated T for one suicidal thought.


Fear

Iroh was afraid in Old Ba Sing Se, not of Azula or the Dai Li, but of what his beloved nephew had become.

Love

Iroh loved ginseng tea because it was what he always drank with Lu Ten; Iroh loved jasmine tea because it was what he always drank with Zuko.

Wisdom

Even though Zuko could never quite get the words right, the meanings behind his uncle's proverbs left a deep impression.

Surprise

Iroh supposed that the biggest surprise about Old Ba Sing Se was the realization that his love could not always protect his second son.

Blame

It was easy to listen to Azula and blame Uncle for Old Ba Sing Se, even when Zuko himself knew it wasn't true.

Birthday

Zuko always felt a little guilty on his birthday because it was on this very day that his uncle lost his own son.

Energy

No matter how tired he was, Iroh could never deny Zuko "Just one more horse-piggy back ride Uncle!"

Humiliation

Zuko felt his face turn beet red when he realized that, contradictory to his uncle's previous assurances, gullible was _not_ written on the ceiling.

Understanding

Though it took longer than it should have, Zuko finally knew what his uncle meant about destiny.

Kindness

Iroh knew he still had much to teach his nephew when Zuko justified stealing the Earth Kingdom family's ostrich-horse with "They're about to show us a little more kindness."

Hope

Zuko drew hope from the idea of one day capturing the Avatar; Iroh drew hope from the idea of Zuko one day finding his true path.

Lesson

Every time Zuko taught Aang firebending, he was reminded of his uncle, and how much better of a pupil Aang was to Zuko than Zuko ever was to Iroh.

Music

No matter what Zuko said in front of his men, he did love music night, because he loved seeing his uncle so genuinely happy.

Integrity

Although Iroh knew Zuko had good inside of him, Old Ba Sing Se had never made him doubt that more.

Intuition

Iroh always knew that his niece was evil, but somehow his nephew never quite grasped this.

Wonder

Zuko had said that Iroh was more of a father to him than Oazi; more than once, Zuko wondered if this was biologically true.

Sigh

Zuko hated his uncle's sighs because they meant that he had failed him _again_.

Maturity

Iroh always outwardly showed his affection toward his nephew, but it took years of maturity before Zuko could do the same to his uncle.

Age

When Zuko was first banished Iroh said he was to young to have such a cruel fate thrown upon him; as time went on, Iroh realized that Oazi's cruelty would have hurt at any age.

Memory

Try as he might, Zuko couldn't recall a single happy childhood memory that didn't involve his mother or uncle.

Silence

It broke Iroh's heart to do his to Zuko, but seeing as he was in prison, it was all he could do for his nephew.

Jealousy

Although he loved his cousin, Zuko couldn't help but be jealous of Lu Ten- if Lu Ten got a father who cared for him, why couldn't Zuko?

Mystery

It only took one night for Iroh to become throne-less and Zuko to become mother-less; when the shock wore off, both wondered how and why this had happened.

Horror

When Iroh learned that Zuko was to fight his father in the Agni Kai, he became frightened; when Iroh learned that Oazi expected him to sit there and do nothing while his beloved nephew suffered, a horror that surpassed even that which he had felt in war engulfed his heart.

Regret

Of all the cruel things he ever did, Iroh was most ashamed of abandoning his nephew in his time of need and looking away as Zuko's father unleashed the boy's element unto his face.

Grace

Iroh tired to teach Zuko how to dance the traditional Fire Nation dance for his 13th birthday party, but gave up after deciding that his nephew had two left feet.

Trust

Until his uncle gave everything to be there for him in his banishment, Zuko didn't quite understand that Iroh would never break the promise he had made when Zuko was ten: "I will never abandon you."

Disgust

Iroh did not sugarcoat his emotions after Zuko's betrayal; his nephew no longer deserved that luxury.

Vacancy

It wasn't until his uncle was in prison that Zuko realized how much he relied on Iroh.

Luxury

Zuko's idea of luxury was having servants fawn over him; Iroh's idea of luxury was knowing a guard who brought him a cup of tea once a day.

Family

Looking at the picture of his family in the old beach house, Zuko felt a sudden pang of longing for his uncle.

Power

Zuko had never thought of his uncle as especially powerful, but the day of the eclipse proved how wrong he was.

Curiosity

Zuko only had to wonder once what would happen if he stole his uncle's tea…

Question

Iroh knew this day would come, but why did Zuko have to ask, "Uncle, where do babies come from?" in front of Iroh's former fellow generals who had stopped by to catch up on old times?

Faith

Oazi thought that spiritualism was a waste of time; if Iroh hadn't taken Zuko to the temple once a week to worship Agni, the young prince would have been as lost as his father.

Pain

Iroh knew that the worst part of Zuko's banishment was not the exile itself but his nephew's glimpse into the fact that his father might not love or even care for him.

Blessing

When Iroh returned from the war after Lu Ten died, Zuko made sure to do his best to cheer up his mourning uncle; he never knew that his small actions were the only reason Iroh didn't choose to join his son in the afterlife.

Optimism

Even as a child, Zuko was hopeful for the future; Iroh just wished that, someday, Zuko could long for a peaceful world instead of one ruled by their nation.

Strength

It took Zuko weeks to gather the courage to ask forgiveness from his uncle, but it only took one day for Iroh to forgive his nephew.

Awe

Zuko was filled with wonder and awe when he learned that, like his uncle, he had learned from the masters Ran and Sha.

Laughter

"Do it again!" the five year-old Zuko cried out as Iroh made a flying dragon out of fire.

Sanity

Zuko loved his two sons with his whole heart, but _Agni_, after five combined temper-tantrums in one hour, he was glad when Uncle took his great-grandnephews for a cup of tea.

Naïve

Iroh couldn't bear to tell his naïve nephew the truth- Oazi didn't really expect his son to capture the Avatar.

Pride

_Zuko really is his father's son_ Iroh sadly thought as he sat in prison after Zuko tried to turn Old Ba Sing Se into Iroh's fault and refused to think that it was, in fact, his.

Curse

Iroh learned just how much children hear when Zuko repeated a word he had overheard from his uncle to Ursa that made her blush deeper than her Fire Lady dress.

Small

Zuko was born smaller than a normal baby; while Oazi said this was a sign of weakness, Iroh thought it was a chance for the young prince to prove himself to his already unsatisfied father.

Manage

When Iroh casually agreed to baby-sit for his sister-in-law, he never expected to be tied up in a closet with Zuko shouting, "We did it Azula! The Earth Kingdom enemy is defeated by the noble Fire Nation!"

Simplicity

Oh sure, it would have been nice to have an everlasting supply of tea like they had at the palace, Iroh mused as he watched Zuko eat breakfast in their new upper ring apartment, but I've got all I need right here.

Blind

It was painful the first time Zuko _really_ saw his father, but what was even more painful was the knowledge that, in his blindness, Zuko had chosen this man over Iroh, his real father.

War

When people questioned how the Prince of the Fire Nation could betray his country like that, Iroh simply smiled; he knew that his nephew had finally won the war within himself.


End file.
